Abbott guarantees paid parental leave

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has guaranteed his generous paid parental leave scheme will be introduced in the first term of a coalition government.

Mr Abbott said the opposition "got it" when it came to the needs of contemporary Australian women.

He was amazed that union officials were not "coming out and praising to the skies" the coalition's policy.

Asked if he could guarantee he would introduce it in a first term of government, Mr Abbott told reporters in Adelaide on Wednesday: "Yes I can."

The opposition leader said he would not be apologising to big businesses for charging them "a modest levy" in return for a modest tax cut.

"Paid parental leave should not be a welfare entitlement, it should be a workplace entitlement," he said.

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said that it is always some older men who were opposed to paid parental leave.

"The men that have changed their views are the ones that have had daughters," Mr Hockey told a business forum on Wednesday in Sydney.

"I see this as just a continuing march towards good economic policy but also equality in the workforce."

Speaking outside the forum, Mr Hockey backed Mr Abbott's comments, saying the coalition was not budging on their policy.

"We are absolutely committed to implementing the paid parental leave scheme that we announced prior to the next election," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney.

"We stand by our plan."

Fairfax Media reported on Wednesday that the policy was forecast to cost $3.3 billion a year, but Mr Hockey would not confirm the numbers, simply saying "you will see all of our numbers before the next election".